Elevator link retainer



March 14, 1939. H. v. DE COURSEY ELEVATOR LINK RETAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Aug. 10, 1936 Harry INVENTOR. \flDeCoz/rse BY ,a/Q 42M ATTORNEYS.

March 14, 1939. H. v. DE COURSEY I ELEVATQR LINK RETAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Aug. 10, 1956 INVENTOR. Harry 'MDe Coursey 22 25 Q. (z-MajATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar 14, 1939 PATENT OFFI E ELEVATOR LINK RETAINER Harry V. DeCoursey, Houma, La, assignor to Byron Jackson 00., Huntington Park,Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application August 10, 1936, SerialNo. 95,186

'6 Claims.

This invention relates to well casing elevators such as are used forraising and lowering well casing, drill pipe or tubing in a deep wellsuch as an oil well. More particularly the invention relates to improvedlatching means for releasably retaining the elevator links in theelevator ears.

Well casing elevators usually comprise a pair of substantiallysemi-circular members hingedly connected together at one endand'provided'with a spring latch to releasably'connect the free ends ofthe members whereby the elevator can be applied to and removed from thepipe. 'Well casing elevators are supported from a hook and travelingblock by means of a'pair of elevator links one end of which engages earsformed onthe elevator and the other ends engage the hoisting hook. Theelevator ears extend laterally of the elevator and are oppositelydisposed. If the elevator is of the so-called center latch type the earsare disposed one on each door. If the elevator is of the so-called sidedoor (body'and door) type the ears are both on the body member. Elevatorears are usually bifurcated substantially horizontally forming upper andlower forks, that is.they are formed with a substantially horizontalslot extending inwardly and somewhat upwardly from the outer end of theear and adapted to receive the lower end or eye of an elevatorsupporting link. Thus the elevator link pulls upwardly on the upper forkof the ear, and the lower fork serves as a bumper for the low-er end ofthe elevatorlink in case the pipe or elevator should hang up whilerunning in the well. In order to prevent the elevator links from gettingout of the slot between the forks "it is customary to block the openingwith some sort of belt or latch.

It is an objectof the present invention to provide improved elevatorlink retaining means which will become latched automatically when theelevator links lift on the elevator ears.

Another object is to provide an improved elevator link retaining meansand latch whereby the latch will automatically engage the free end ofthe link retainer when the elevator is raised by means of the elevatorlinks.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings wherein Figure l is a front elevation, partly in cross sectionof an'elevator equipped with my improved link retaining means.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the elevator shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectiontaken through a modified form of linkretainer arm and latch.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevation of the link retainer shown inFig. 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the latch shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a typical center latch type of elevatorequipped with my improved 'leasably connect their free ends.

elevator link retainer.

together at one end as indicated at 3 and provided with a spring pressedlatch 5 adapted to re- The body memhers 'I and 2 are provided with apair of oppositely disposed laterally extending ears 'i' and 8. The earsI and 8 are bifurcated substantially horizontally to form an upper forkIt and a lower fork I I. Elevator links are indicated at I3 being shown'in the hoisting position.

that its under edge is substantially flush with the link. engagingportion of the upper fork. Thus when the elevator is raised by means ofthe links IS the links will bear against the fingers I8 and "force thearms I4 to the fullyclosed position.

The lower ends of the arms l4 extend thru slots 2!! in the lower forksII. Each of the arms I4 is p ovided at its free end with a pair oflaterally extending lugs 22 forming a T-shap-ed head on the end of thearm I4.

A latch member 24 (Fig. 5) is provided for securing the arm I l in theclosed position. The

latch preferably consists of a hub 25 having a pair of spaced arms 26which, with the hub, form a U-s'haped latch member. The ends of the arms26 are provided with downwardly projecting hookshaped lugs 21 adapted toengage the lugs on the T-shaped head of the retaining arm M. The latch24 is pivotally mounted in a recess 29 formed in the lower side of thelower fork H. a pivotpin 3i! extending through the hub 25. The latch 24-is yieldably held in the latch engaging position by means of a suitablespring, such as the torsion spring shown at 32.

With the latch arrangement described above, movement of the linkretaining arm M to the closed position when actuated bv the links I3bearing against the fingers 58 will cause the T- head on the retainingarm to engage the hookshaped lugs 21 on the spring-pressed latch 24.

Thus the elevator can not pick up the pipe without the l nk retainerarms It being in the closed and latched position.

To remove the elevator links Ill from the elevator it is only necessaryto raise the latches It and lower the links I3, whereupon the links willpush the link retaining arms outwardly and allow the links l3'to bedisengaged from the ears I and B.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a modified form of latch and link retainerarm. Instead of providing the link retainer arm with a T-shaped head Iprovide the arm 14a with an opening 36 through which the latch 24a isadapted to extend. The latch 24a is provided with a shank having adownwardly extending hook-shaped lug 27a at one end adapted to engagethe end of the arm Ma, and at its other end is pivotally connected tothe lower fork I la of the ear. The latch 2 3a is yieldably urged towardthe arm engaging position by a torsion spring 32a.

The upper end of the link retaining arm I do. is similar to that shownin Figs. 1 and 2.

If it is desired that the link retaining arm i-ta shall engage the lowerfork Ha to take up a part of he stress when the elevator is under heavyload I provide the arm I la with a recess 38 adapted to extend aroundthe end of the lower fork i la. The lower wall of the recess 38 and theunder face of the fork l l are struck substantially on radius from thecenter of the pivot pin lta as indicated at 40. Thus when the elevatoris under heavy load the faces of the recess 38 and the fork Ha willengage at 4i and relieve the stress on the upper fork Ilia.

I claim:

1. A well casing elevator with a pair of oppositely disposed, laterallyextending, bifurcated supporting ears each comprising an upper fork anda lower fork, a recess in the under side of said upper fork, a linkretaining arm pivotallyattached at its upper end to said upper forkadjacent the outer end thereof and adapted to extend across the openingbetween said forks, a finger integral with said retaining arm at thepivoted end thereof projecting inwardly toward the vertical axis of theelevator and adapted to lie in said recess when said arm is in theclosed position so that its under edge is substantially flush with thelink engaging portion of said upper fork, and springpressed latch meansfor automatically securing the free end of said arm to the lower forkwhen the arm is closed, said latch means being accessible from the outerside of said arm when the latter is in closed position.

2. A well casing elevator with a pair of oppositely disposed, laterallyextending, bifurcated supporting ears each comprising an upper fork alower fork, a recess in the under side of said upper fork, a linkretaining arm pivotally attached at its upper end to said upper forkadjacent the outer end thereof and adapted to extend across the openingbetween said forks, a finger integral with said retaining arm at thepivoted end thereof projecting inwardly toward the vertical axis of theelevator and adapted to lie in said recess when said arm is in theclosed position so that its under edge is substantially flush with thelink-engaging portion of said upper fork, and spring-pressed latch meanson said lower fork adapted to automatically engage the free end of saidarm when said arm is moved to the closed position, said latch meansbeing accessibie from the outer side of said arm when thelatter is inclosed position.

3. A well casing elevator with a pair of oppositely disposed, laterallyextending, bifurcated supporting ears each comprising an upper fork anda lower fork, a recess in the under side of said upper fork; a linkretaining arm pivotally attached at its upper end to said upper forkadjacent the outer end thereof and adapted to extend across the openingbetween said forks, a finger integral with said retaining arm at thepivoted end thereof projecting inwardly toward the vertical axis of theelevator and adapted to lie in said recess when said arm is in theclosed position so that its under edge is substantially flush with thelink-engaging portion of said upper fork, said link retaining armcomprising a shank portion with laterally extending lugs on the free endthereof forming a T-shaped head,

a slot in said lower fork adapted to receive the shank of said arm, anda spring-pressed latch member mounted on said lower fork and adapted toautomatically engage said T-shaped head when said arm is moved to theclosed position, said latch means being accessible from the outer sideof said arm when the latter is in closed position.

4. A well casing elevator as defined in claim 3 in which thespring-pressed latch member comprises a U-shaped member mounted on ahorizontal pivot on said lower fork and provided with downwardlyprojecting hook-shaped lugs on the ends of the arms of said U-shapedmember, said last-named lugs being engageable respectively with the lugson said retaining arm.

5. In a well casing elevator, a body having a pair of oppositelydisposed, laterally extending, bifurcated supporting ears, eachcomprising an upper fork and a lower fork, a link retaining armpivotally attached at its upper end adjacent the outer end of each upperfork and adapted to extend across the opening between said upper andlower forks, a finger integral with said retaining arm at the pivotedend thereof and projecting inwardly toward the vertical axis of theelevator, an inwardly extending recess in the outer end of each lowerfork, spring-pressed latch means pivotally mounted wholly within saidrecesses and adapted to releasably engage the free end of said retainingarms, said latch means being accessible for manual release from theouter sides of said arms when the latter are in closed position, andaninwardly extending slot in the outer end of each lower fork adaptedtoreceive the free end of said retaining arm.

6. A well casing elevatorwith a pair of oppositely disposed, laterallyextending, bifurcated supporting ears each comprising an upper fork and.a lower fork adapted to receive an elevator link therebetween, a recessin the under side of said upper fork, a link retaining arm pivotallyattached at its upper end to each of said upper forks adjacent the outerend thereof and adapted to extend across the opening between said forks,a finger integral with said retaining arm at the pivoted end thereofprojecting inwardly toward the vertical axis of the elevator and adaptedto lie in said recess when said arm is in the closed position so thatits under edge is substantially flush with the link-engaging portion ofsaid upper fork, an inwardly extending recess in the outer end of eachlower fork, latch means mounted wholly within said last named. recessesand accessible from the outer side of said arm when the latter is inclosed position, said latch means comprising an arm having a hook shapedhead adapted to engage the free end of said retainer arm, said latch armbeing mounted on a horizontally disposed pivot pin, spring meansnormally urging said latch toward the locked position, and a verticalslot in the outer end of each of said lower forks adapted to receive thefree end of said retainer arm.

HARRY V. DE COURSE-Y.

